Dillards pays $2M to settle discrimination claims

WASHINGTON (AP) ó Department store chain Dillardís Inc. is paying $2 million to settle charges it violated federal disability law by requiring workers who took sick leave to reveal their medical conditions.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says thousands of current and former Dillard employees who sought sick leave were forced to submit a doctorís note explaining not just that they were being treated, but the exact nature of their medical condition.

The commission says workers who didnít feel comfortable disclosing details of their treatment were fired, even when doctors advised them not to reveal private medical information. EEOC officials say other employees were improperly fired for taking more sick leave than the company allowed.

The settlement resolves a four-year-old class action lawsuit that charged Dillardís with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.